Pouch.



No. 709,561. Patented Sept. 23, 1902;;

J. A. SMITHLINE & A. F. zmsen.

P 0 U C H.

(Application filed Oct. 17, 1901.

(No Model.)

'dicates the line of section.

. UNITED STATES PATENT ()EFICE.

JOHN A. SMITHLINE AND ADAM F. ZAISER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

POUCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,561, dated September 23, 1902.

Application filed October 17,1901. Serial llO- 79,044. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN A. SMITHLINE and ADAM F. ZAISER, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pouches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is specially designed for tobacco-pouches, but may be applied for other uses.

An object of the invention is to provide a tobacco-pouch which when closed will hold the contents as securely as they may be held by a bag tied with a string, and which can be opened by pressure of the thumb and finger of one hand, and which when open affords convenient means for pouring out the contents of the pouch.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention.

Figure I is a side view of the pouch closed. Fig. II is an end view of the pouch open. Fig. III is a fragmental mid section cutting through the end pivots of the pouch-clasp when the pouch is closed. III III, Fig. V, in- Fig. 1V is a fragmental section on line IV 1V, Fig. II. Fig. V is an enlarged view looking at the mouth of the pouch closed. Fig. VI is a plan of a pair of members which compose one of the jointed side members of the clasp. Fig. VII is a View looking at the inner side of said side member of the clasp. At the ends of this View portions of the other side member of the clasp are shown in section. Fig. VIII is a view of a blank adapted to be bent to form a finger-shield for the end of the clasp.

l designates the body of the pouch, which may be formed in any suitable way.

2 designates a neck fastened to the top of the pouch-body.

3 designates extensions of the sides of the pouch on opposite sides of the neck 2 to serve as members to carry the clasp 4, which is constructed to norm allyhold the neck 2 closed, as shown in Fig. V. The clasp t is com posed of members pivoted together and surrounding the neck and resilient means for holding such members in position to clasp and close the neck.

pouch.

a Z) and a bdesignate four members arranged in two pairs and pivoted together to form a frame around the neck 2. The pairs are respectively provided with resilient means for yieldingly holding the sides of the clasp normally extended in the position indicated in Fig. VI. 5 designates a form of such resilient means consisting of a bent spring preferably coiled at the middle and there held in place by the pivot 6, which pivots the members of the pair together, the terminals 0 and d of said spring extending toward the ends of the members Ct and Z), respectively. The pair formed of the members a b is constructed in the same Way as the pair just described.

7 designates finger-shields pivotally connected with the end joints of the clasp to receive the pressure of the thumb and finger applied, as indicated in Fig. II, to open the The shields 7 are preferably pro vided with portions 8 to intercept the mem bers of the clasp to prevent the clasp from being opened too Widely, thus to avoid any danger of straining the spring 5.

The members a b of the jointed pair are preferably constructed to be normally held by the spring 5 with their inner edges in a right line, asindicated in Fig. VI, so that their tendency when free to respond to the spring is to forcibly press the neck of the pouch together, thus to normally hold it tightly closed, as indicated in Fig. V. The thickness of the material of the pouch and the neck thereof interposed between the side members of the clasp hold said members outwardly bent at their middle joint, so that when pressure is applied to the end shields 7 the joints 9 of the side members will readily spread apart, thus opening the mouth of the pouch, as shown in Fig. II. The neck 2 is connected with a top portion 10 of the pouch, which is connected by rivetsfwith the jointed members a I) a b of the clasp, so that when the clasp is opened, as shown in Fig. II, the neck will be likewise opened. 11 designates binding-strips, preferablyofmetalorsome otherstiffening material, fastened to the edges of the neck2 in positions corresponding to the several members a b a b of the clasp to stiffen said edges outside of the clasp. These binding-strips are preferably sufficiently separated from each other at the corners of the mouth of the neck to allow the necessary fiexure as the neck opens and closes.

12 designates the pivots at the end joints 13 of the clasp to connect the finger-shields 7 and the ends of the frame together.

In practical use to open the pouch pressure will be applied by the thumb and finger to the linger-shields '7, thus to spread the clasp apart at the middle thereof. As the clasp opens it spreads the top of the pouch so as to open the neck, as shown in Fig. II. The bindingstrips 11 hold the mouth of the neck in form to serve as a spout, through which the materlal'to be poured will be delivered when the pouch is turned for that purpose.

No claim is tnade, broadly, herein to a pouch consisting of a pouch-body and neck with a clasp carried by the body to clasp the neck, for the reason that the same is the sole invention John A. Smithline and is claimed by him in a separate application filed simultaneonsly herewith.

The clasp members a, b, a, and b are preferably trough-shaped, as will be clearly understood by reference to Figs. VI and VII,

and the clasp-closing springs 5 are chambered in their respective pairs of the members, and are thus hidden from view. They operate to hold their respective pairs of members extended in right lines, so that the pairs would normally be parallel to each other if it were not for the interposed material of the pouch and of the neck thereof, which they clasp.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A pouch comprising a body and a neck extending from the body; a clasp composed of members pivoted together and surrounding the neck intermediate the ends of the neck; andresilient means for holding such members in position to clasp and close the neck.

2. The combination with a pouch furnished with a neck; of a clasp connected with the pouch independently of the neck and comprising four members pivotally connected together in pairs to form a frame surrounding the neck intermediate the ends thereof; and

means for yieldingly holding the pairs extended to close the clasp.

3. In apouch, a clasp comprising four members pivoted together in pairs, said pairs being pivotally connected together; means for yieldingly holding the pairs of members extended to close the clasp; and finger-shields pivotally connected with the joints between the pairs and provided with portions to intercept the members of the clasp to prevent the clasp from being opened too widely.

4:. A pouch-clasp comprising hollow members pivoted together in pairs and said pairs being also pivoted together at their ends; and springs in the pairs respectively to hold said pairs extended to close the clasp.

5. In a pouch-clasp, the combination of two members pivoted together and constructed for attachment to apouch; and aspring fastened to said members at the joint thereof and engaging said members to hold them normally extended to close the clasp.

6. In aclasp, the combination of two trough shaped members; a pivot connecting said members together; and a spring chambered in said members and connected with the pivot thereof and arranged to engage said members to hold them normally extended.

7. A pouch comprising a body; a neck extending therefrom; a clasp connected with the body and constructed to clasp the neck intermediate the ends of the neck; and four binding-strips fastened to the edges of the neck to stiffen the same and separated from each other at corners of the mouth of the neck to allow flexure.

8. A pouch comprising a body furnished with side extensions; a neck extending between said side extensions; a clasp fastened to the side extensions and constructed to clasp the neck; and springs contained in the clasp and arranged to hold the clasp in its clasping position.

9. A pouch comprising a body furnished with side extensions; a neck extending between said extensions; a clasp fastened to the extensions and constructed to clasp the neck; and four binding-st rips fastened to the edges of the neck to stitfen the same outside the clasp. 4

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of October, 1901.

JOHN A. SMITHLINE. ADAMF. ZAISER. Witnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, JULIA TOWNSEND 

